Are software testers less skilful than software developers?

There is a persona of a tester and developer in everyone’s mind. And that persona is really misleading and inaccurate. I’m talking about the personas that make people think that “Software Testers are Less Skilful than Software Developers”.

It makes me more upset when I hear these words from people who know nothing about software development or testing.

Yes, people who have no industry level experience, the freshers and young graduates who pass out with a B.E Degree wants a job as a developer and not as a tester.

It is all because they think Testers are less paid in comparison to the developers.

What the F***?

As you know, I’m pretty open to everyone’s thought and emotions. So, instead of walking away, I stood there and tried to understand the base of their statement.

“So, what makes you think that Software Testers are less paid than Software Developers?”- I asked.

“Developers are more skilled, you know, they create new stuff, they write code, they make new software, so that is something really amazing. Whereas, anybody could be a tester. You just have a features list and you have to make sure those features function exactly the way they are supposed to.”

Impressive.

“But, how do you know this for sure. I mean where did you get all this information. Because as far as I know (from my first-hand experience) there is no salary difference between a tester or a developer. In fact, at my workplace, there are a few testers who are paid more than a software developer of the same experience.” – I replied.

“Hmmm… okay”.

I know he didn’t buy those words and was not even interested to know further because in his mind he already knew that testers are less skilful. And this article is going to be my perception (software developer) of a tester and a developer.

Automation Testers are the New Sexy

Automation is everywhere. It has penetrated into the lives of many people today.

More and more industries are quickly adopting automation to lower their cost and increase productivity. And when it comes to IT Industries, testing is a field where it is used heavily.

Gone are the days of a manual tester (although without manual testing there is no concept of automation). Today, a manual tester has to have a skill of writing code and automating his/her most basic tasks. Not because of the increased market demands but for their basic survival.

Without automation skill, it is very hard to survive in an IT Industry. A tester has to work on atleast 3-4 projects simultaneously. And every feature requires time to test. On top of that, it is an iterative process.

Once new functionality is released. All the existing functionality need to be tested along with the new functionality to find any loops or potential code fragility (where one thing breaks the other).

Just imagine how repetitive and boring it is. If automation is not there to take care of such tasks, then life soon becomes hell.

So, if testers are not willing to write code, they are not going to survivehaveor they become stagnant. Both have the same meaning.

Reporting Is their Key Ingredient

It just doesn’t stop here. Writing automated scripts was a small part of the big story. The reporting is their main focus.

Testers have to convince the client that the product they are about to use is going to be free of bugs and security vulnerabilities. For that they need proof and for proof, they need a good amount of reports.

So, they not only write scripts to automate the testing but also they write code to produce reports of their test cases in an attractive way. And to all my friends, if you have ever created a simple reporting tool, you will know how much it takes to create rich reports.

To add a little knowledge of the industry process – No matter how good the developer is. Until and unless tester gives a sign-off stating that he has tested the functionalities and everything works as it should, the project does not move to the next stage. [Power of a Tester]

Software Testers are Multi-Tasking

At any given point in time, a tester is working on multiple modules simultaneously. Producing reports for every feature he/she has tested. Reporting to his/her team of the defects and then re-testing those defects after the fix.

Not only that, they have to attend meetings and calls with the client because they are the ones who are going to understand the requirements and translate into a developer-friendly language.

Testers are the ones who have to know both sides. The client-side as well as the developer side. Imagine sending a developer to the client to gather requirements.

It would be a mess.

Developer and testers always have funny talks in the workplace.

Software Testers are Good Presenters

Often times a tester is the one who presents a demo to the client.

I work in an Agile environment where you have to present the working module to the client after completion of a user story. The presentation part is often taken care of by the testers of the team.

The reason for that is they are very well versed with the business requirement of the project than any developer.

It is because they look at the project from the Bird’s eye view. Whereas, a developer-only knows about the feature he/she is working in. This sounds unrealistic but this is a real thing when you are working in a distributed environment.

In other words, you can say that a tester is someone who knows all the ins and outs of each and every module of the project.

Software Testers are Good Friends With Software Developers

?Developer – How can I make it.Tester -? How can I break it.

No Joking!

My best friend is a tester in my company.?

We spend most of our time together and we definitely don’t hate each other. And that is the reason I know so much about testing.?

Some say that we are friends only because we are not part of the same project. But I can assure you, that is not the case. Testers are really good people and they help you to write bug-free and error-free code.

I would really want you to respect developers and don’t see them as less skilful. They are equally important and that is why they have a reputed position inside every IT company.?

Conclusion

The developers and testers is a part of the same hierarchy. They also become Team Lead, Project Lead and eventually project manager.

If you think they are less skilful then you are mistaken. One of the most used tool today – Postman, was built by a couple of testers who were looking for ways to effectively test REST API(s).

Do not underestimate the power of tester.

It is just that when a tester develops a tool he becomes a developer.? And that only means he is a really good tester who can automate just about anything by using his programming skills.

Are you a tester? What do you think about this article? Your comments are most welcome.

Article By: Varun Shrivastava

Varun Shrivastava is an innovative full stack web developer. He is a passionate blogger and loves to write about philosophy, programming, tech and relationships. He works as a Software Developer. This is his den, you can get in touch with him here anytime you want.

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Varun Shrivastava is an innovative full stack web developer. He is a passionate blogger and loves to write about philosophy, programming, tech and relationships. He works as a Software Developer. This is his den, you can get in touch with him here anytime you want.

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